AUCKLAND – 8 September 2016: ​Birkenhead Brewing Company today became a sponsor of the North Harbour Rugby Union in the first step of what we hope is a long term relationship with its local Rugby hero’s.

In the deal announced today, the Birkenhead Brewing Company will supply its range of craft beer at QBE Stadium during North Harbour’s home games in the Mitre10 Cup.

Brad Boult, company director and co-founder of Birkenhead Brewing, said that this opportunity to sponsor and enhance the overall fan experience at QBE Stadium is something that excites our organisation.

“We’ve noticed that fans are wanting an amazing entertainment experience when they go to our stadium. Now we can enhance that through offering some of the range of our craft beers to customers. As beer drinkers are changing their tastes, we are there to satisfy them through this neat partnership with North Harbour Rugby”.

Birkenhead Brewing Company will be offering its popular Pacific Pale Ale and Pilsner craft beer at the stadium as part of the sponsorship.

Brett Hollister, North Harbour Rugby CEO, is continuing to implementing initiatives that improve the overall match day customer experience.

“Attracting fans to our home games obviously has a positive commercial impact however it also reinforces the support for rugby in the fast growing North Harbour region. We will continue to work hard to improve the food & beverage offerings at QBE Stadium and are delighted with the support from Birkenhead Brewing Company, a local company based right here in North Harbour territory”.

The next game this Saturday against Manawatu will see the first servings of Craft Beer at North Harbour Stadium all in the name of enhancing a great game day.

​AUCKLAND - 8 August 2016: Birkenhead Brewing Company is relaunching its Pale Ale and Pilsner brands as part of its new The Village Series, and in the process removing all references to the Maori story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai.

Steve Simms, company director and co-founder of Birkenhead Brewing, said the branding changes follow feedback that the use of the names Hinemoa and Mokoia was causing pain and upset for some Maori.

“Back in July, we promised to act swiftly to remove any references, branding and association between Te Arawa’s ancestors and our products. It was never our intention to show any disrespect. Following our meeting last Friday at Te Owhata Marae with the people representing Te Arawa, we are both enlightened and relieved. We will now work together to assist in the protection of cultural intellectual property.”

“While we still have a lot to learn, we now better understand the importance and impact of Maori culture and heritage, especially with regard to Maori stories and Taonga (treasures). We would like to pay particular respect to Kaumatua from Te Arawa in Rotorua, who, as the guardians of the Hinemoa and Tūtānekai story, helped us to understand and appreciate the significance of their ancestors,” said Simms.

Simms said the Birkenhead Brewing Company will gift the original Hinemoa and Tūtānekai artworks – without any branding – to the Te Arawa Koeke for their own copyright protection and use.

Te Arawa representative Paraone Pirika said the meeting had delivered a positive outcome.

“We of Owhata marae and Te Arawa Koeke, the guardians of Te Arawa Taonga, stories, genealogy, and whenua, we thank you for meeting us on our Turangawaewae; our marae, our place, our home. And for being open to listen and receive information that gave you a deeper understanding and appreciation of a cultural perspective and its importance, to not only us but to New Zealand Aotearoa. In that a taonga is not a treasure of monetary value but a treasure of the heart and the mind.”

“Furthermore we wish you all the best for the future of your company, and in our heart and minds, with a leadership such as yours "marino te waka ra, smooth sailing,” said Pirika.

Simms said the Pacific Pale Ale and Pilsner brands are currently being re-labelled and are expected to be back on the shelves at retail outlets later this week. All draft tap products have already been changed.

The Birkenhead Brewing Company is a small boutique brewing company, based in Birkenhead, Auckland. Our four beer brands are named after our local Kauri forest in our suburb and the three major streets that feed into the centre of our village.

Yesterday, without warning or any prior discussion, we were publicly criticised regarding the names and labels of two of our craft beers that are named after Birkenhead streets. We were also accused of being disrespectful to Maori culture. A death threat to the Birkenhead Brewing staff was taken seriously and is now a matter of Police investigation.

Prior to launching these beers, we consulted extensively with our local iwi in Birkenhead and several experts on Maori culture. We wanted to make sure that we were behaving in a manner that respected, honoured and celebrated our New Zealand heritage and culture.

We created our own imagery and ensured the stories were based on documented evidence that offered an explanation of what the names stood for. We wanted to ensure that respect was paid to the creators of those stories with full cultural recognition.

However, despite our best efforts, it is clear that some parties are unhappy with the use of the names Hinemoa and Mokoia.

As it was always our intention to honour and celebrate – not to be disrespectful, we are now discussing the matter with Paraone Pirika, the kaumatua and chairman of Owhata marae in Rotorua. The Owhata marae is where the ancestral houses of Tutanekai and Hinemoa sit with pride and mana.

We are sorry for any offence that has been caused. Through our discussions we will be looking at how we can change our labels so as to remove any potential for harm or dispute.​We will continue to keep you updated on the progress, which we expect to be swift.